Junior Series | Praying Like Jesus Did: simply and from the heart

 Junior School Reflection | Matthew 6: 7 - 15, 1st Tuesday of Lent, 2026, Year B

We have just heard a short reading from Matthew’s Gospel. The text we heard is a lesson on how to pray. Jesus prayed when he was on earth, and in this Gospel he teaches his friends how he speaks to God his Father.

How many of you pray each day? It’s okay if you don’t, or if you haven’t started yet. Perhaps some of you would like to begin. Perhaps some of you want to pray but simply don’t know how.

In today’s reading, Jesus shows us that prayer does not have to be complicated. When we pray, we speak to God in the same way we speak to our parents, and of course to our teachers. When we go to our parents or teachers, we usually go because we need help. We speak plainly. We say what we need.

Last week I met a wonderful young boy in Grade Five. I could see he wasn’t making progress with his classwork. After introducing myself, I asked why he hadn’t made a start on the activity. He said, very simply, “I don’t know what I’m doing. Can you help me please?”

There was nothing complicated about that. It was honest. Direct. From the heart.

That is how Jesus teaches us to pray.

When we talk to God, we do not need big words or perfect sentences. We keep it simple. We speak honestly. We ask for help when we need it.

In this Gospel passage, Jesus teaches his followers the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is made up of seven parts.

The first is: Our Father in heaven, holy be your name.
This is a prayer of faith. It expresses what we believe. We acknowledge who God is and we respect his name never using it carelessly or as a swear word.

The second is: Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
When we say this, we acknowledge that God is not distant or unreachable. We ask that his goodness be seen in the way we live and treat one another. Jesus came to tell us about this kingdom. Whenever we see people doing good actions or speaking kind words, they are bringing that kingdom into the present. They are showing us something greater.

The third is: Give us this day our daily bread.
Jesus is not telling us to ask for Tip Top or Bakers Delight bread. Rather, he is teaching us to ask for what we need each day to live well as good and faithful citizens of the world and students at school. If you are finding it hard to be kind, ask for the power of kindness. If you are tempted to lie, ask for the strength to be truthful. Yes, we have physical needs and can pray for them, but we are also spiritual beings. Jesus teaches us to ask for spiritual food.

Next, Jesus tells us to seek God’s forgiveness, but there is a condition. To receive God’s mercy, we must also be willing to forgive others. We must be open to accepting apologies and letting go of resentment. This helps us mature spiritually and become more like God, who is also forgiving.

The final part is: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Here, Jesus teaches us to ask God to help us make good choices. Every day we face decisions. When we choose what is right, we help make God’s kingdom known on earth. Good choices bring peace and fulfillment, the very things we long for. And when we choose truth and goodness more often, we find ourselves needing to say sorry less often.

That is what this Gospel is about.

How to pray.

We pray as Jesus prayed: simply, honestly, from the heart, asking for what we need to become better citizens in the world.

Teen Series | Don't wait for a sign: Jesus' call to action

Highschool Reflection | Luke 11; 29-32, 1st Wednesday of Lent, Year B, 2026

In today’s Gospel, we hear about the presence of the crowd.

In the Bible, crowds often struggle with Jesus and his message. Why? It's because what he says and does challenges what feels normal and comfortable.

In this text, the crowd asks Jesus for a sign before they are willing to respond. In other words, they say, they want evidence and proof first. They want certainty. They want reassurance. They want to know it will be safe before they commit.

Jesus’ teaching is new to them. It doesn’t fit neatly with what they are used to. So instead of changing, they’d rather stick with what they know and let him move on.

Jesus pushes back on that way of thinking. He reminds us that there are people who have had far less evidence and still acted. The people of Nineveh changed their lives straight away. The Queen of the South recognised wisdom when she heard it and didn’t hesitate.

the point is simple:
The problem isn’t that there are not enough signs.
The problem is that people don’t want to act.

We often do the same thing.
We wait for the perfect moment.
We wait until we feel ready.
But deep down, we usually already know what the right thing to do is.

A great example of this kind of courage is Kurt Fearnley, one of Australia’s most respected Paralympians.

Kurt was born without the lower part of his legs. Growing up in regional New South Wales, he decided he wanted to compete in sport with students who weren’t physically disabled - not because it was easy, but because he wanted to challenge himself.

He trained hard, often by himself. There were no guarantees he would succeed. There were no signs telling him it would all work out. What he trusted instead was the process:
turning up, putting in the work, and not letting fear decide what he could do.

That courage paid off. Kurt went on to represent Australia at several Paralympic Games and won medals. But more importantly, he became known for his humility, resilience, and character.

The lesson isn’t about becoming famous or winning medals.
It’s about choosing courage before certainty.
It’s about committing to growth even when you don’t know how it will turn out.

That’s exactly what Jesus is getting at in today’s Gospel.
Courage doesn’t wait for reassurance.
It responds to what we already know is right.

So what does that look like for school students today?

It might mean staying quiet when you really want to talk in class.
It might mean introducing yourself in the boarding house instead of keeping to yourself.
It might mean putting more effort into homework, training, or co-curricular activities instead of making excuses.

None of those things need a sign from heaven. You don’t need certainty to start.

You just need to take the next right step.

Because courage isn’t about big heroic moments. It’s about small choices made every day.

Courage is trusting the process and doing the right thing - even when no one is watching.

Junior Series | Chasing true treasure

Junior School Reflection | Matthew 13: 45 - 46 (a selected reading), 5th Tuesday in Ordinary time, 2026, Year B

Story: Looking in the right place

[text to story to be uploaded]

There is this great teacher by the name of Augustine of Hippo, who lived around the

4th century; what he taught then is still important today. He taught that in the depths

of the human heart lies hidden treasure which can change our lives. “How much

treasure we have within us,” he declared, “but we do not dig for it.” 

Instead, we look outside ourselves, like the story of the thief, it might be for a diamond jewel, it might

be in the enjoyment of an activity like marbles, maybe collecting some of the best

Pokémon cards, or winning at sport and hand ball in the school ground, but looking

for that treasure buried in the field of our lives, a treasure that is worth more, we

sometimes overlook.

What is this “field of our lives” I just mentioned? Well, its within ourselves, it’s in our

hearts.

I’m sure the very reason why we do not search for that treasure within our hearts is

because we do not know how to start looking for it, and if we did we probably would

spend time searching.

In the Gospel, Matthew tells us that the pearl of great price isn’t going to the cinema

experience, or winning a competition and collecting a medal, or being the most

popular person. He tells us that the greatest treasure comes from spending time with God, and he can be discovered in the quiet place of our hearts.

Going back to the story of the diamond thief, the story tell tells us that the man who

bought the pearl hid it in the pocket of the thief, the place where he failed to look.

Now, this pocket is no ordinary pocket, it’s the pocket of your heart, and like the

story, Jesus is telling us to look within yourself and isn’t that exactly what Matthew ‘s

Gospel says.

Thought Series | Sustainable development in the life of Jesus Christ

Sustainable development - sometimes known as sustainability, though the former is more appropriately recognised as a process and the latter as a goal - is a topical concept that gained traction at the United Nation's World Commission on Environment and Development. The commission defined sustainable development in its Brundtland Report Our Common Home as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs." In essence, the concept strives to protect and promote social goals for harmonious coexistence. Leaders at the commission recognised the abuse on environment through the conquest and exploitation of natural resources was having a direct impact on human flourishment; it became relevant then to reconcile this abuse at the time with a definition that would pave the way for sustainable practices to secure needs for future generations. 

The concept of sustainability is not foreign to Catholic teaching. The late pope Francis echoes this thought in his encyclical on Laudato Si on numerous occasions. He reminds us time and again throughout his letter that care for the natural environment is incompatible to the justification of abortion, and that the earth's exploitation has a proportional impact on the poor and the vulnerable. He is simply reiterating his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who said, "the way humanity treats the environment influences the way it treats itself, and vice versa."  Before their time, John Paul II likened our response to care for creation as a moral issue threatening human peace if left unchecked. When explored more deeply we find that sustainability is a moral demand rather than optional because it is deeply relational. When we neglect care for the earth, we have a negative impact on the lives our brothers and neighbours, and, when we take ownership of caring for the earth, we preserve the human goods for a better life.

While the Church and global institutions have taken clear positions on sustainability, the question remains whether Jesus engaged this concern. Although scholarship have shown how the Christian ethics supports sustainable practices, little attention has been given to sustainability within the lived experience of Jesus. The multiplications of the loaves and fish in Matthew, Mark and John's Gospels give a compelling example. After feeding the crowd, Jesus instructs his disciples to gather what remains so that nothing is wasted. Waste is significant to sustainability, as in his later works Pope Francis links environmental degradations to a throwaway culture and overconsumption rooted in individualism. Although Jesus appears resourceful, a detailed reading underscores him as the true source of sustenance. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus feeds the crowd through the assistance of the disciples, whereas in John they do not appear to have a role. Despite the disciples Philip and Andrew stressed scant means to feed such a large crowd only Jesus miraculously produced bread and fish superabundantly without waste, presenting him as the definitive model for sustainable development.

Jesus’ concern for sustainability is especially evident in his teaching on the indissolubility of marriage. Marriage breakdown carries profound social, economic, and environmental consequences, a reality confirmed by modern research. Children from divorced families experience higher levels of emotional insecurity, mental health challenges, substance abuse, and risky behaviour than those from intact households. They are also more likely to experience instability in intimate relationships later in life. One study found that 60% of participants attributed their reluctance toward lifelong marriage to their parents’ divorce. These outcomes highlight the long-term human costs of marital dissolution.

The environmental impact of divorce is also significant. Divorce often requires the creation of additional households, increasing land use and placing pressure on natural habitats, leading to biodiversity loss and ecological displacement. As separation rates rise, so too does the demand for housing, furnishings, and appliances. While second-hand options exist, consumer preference frequently favours new goods, driving manufacturing, resource depletion, and higher energy consumption. Research by Liu and Yu (2003) found that divorced households in the United States consumed 42–61% more water, land, and energy per person than married households. They estimated that maintaining intact marriages would save billions of gallons of water, reduce housing demand, and significantly lower electricity use. These findings reveal an often-overlooked truth: divorce contributes to environmental unsustainability. In contrast, Jesus’ call to unity and reconciliation in marriage promotes not only social stability but environmental responsibility. As divorce becomes increasingly normalised, it adds to the growing challenge of achieving sustainable development, both now and in the future.

When married couples divorce it is hard to not see the impact their decisions have on the environment. Divorce often requires the creation of additional households, resulting in the use of more land for housing placing pressure on natural habitats, driving biodiversity loss and displacement of flora and fauna. These new homes must also be furnished, often with furniture and appliances once served in a shared household. While second-hand goods and appliances are an option, consumer preference often lean towards new products, further driving manufacturing demands and depleting natural resources.[1] The manufacturing of these goods also increases energy consumption, which then contributes to a larger carbon footprint. Research by Liu and Yu (2003) found that divorced American households consumed 42-61% more limited resources (water, land, energy) per person than married households. They estimated that maintaining intact marriages would save 627 billion gallons of water, 38 million fewer rooms required, and 73 billion kWh less electricity used. These figures reveal an often-overlooked truth: divorce contributes to environmental unsustainability. In contrast, Jesus’ call to unity and reconciliation in marriage offers not only social but also environmental sustainability. As divorce becomes increasingly normalised, it adds to the burden of achieving sustainable development – now and into the future.

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[1] Lea Becker Frahm, and Casper Boks, “It’s Intertwined! Barriers and Motivations for Second-hand Product Consumption,” Circular Economy and Sustainability 15 (2025): 665; B.B.S. Parihar, “Consumer Behaviour Across Various Family Life Cycle Stages – A Case Study of Home Appliance Market,” Amity Journal of Management 5, no. 2 (2017): 9.

Thought Series | The moral demand of discipleship

Discipleship in our modern world demands bravery to follow Christ. Headlines declare the decline of Christianity; many live-in name alone, unwilling to pick up their cross, while others publicly reject their baptismal identity altogether. Inspiring people to live the gospel values is challenging, often faced with apathy or rejection, even from nominal Christians. Yet, discipleship invites us beyond the safety of our faith community. We are sent to the ends of the earth, to share the love of God on ears who have neither heard nor experienced the power of the Word. This mission is entrusted to us because, as the saying goes, “love is a universal language all people understand in their hearts.”[1]

Discipleships begins with the proclamation of the Good News. After every Mass we sometimes hear the dismissal “Go out and preach the Gospel,” a timeless commission echoing Jesus’ command: “go out baptising every nation in the name of the Father… Son… and Holy Spirit.” Yet, what is this Good News? In both the 1^st century and our own, it answers the same human longing of life after death and that God loves us regardless of our deficiencies. Mark’s Gospel (1:17) summaries this as the kingdom of God has come near. This Kingdom being one of love and life with God, those two main points highlighted. 

Before a disciple can proclaim the Good News, they must be transformed by it. Discipleship is not a mere repetition of words but a response to the personal invitation of Christ: “Come, follow me.” We learn from the Gospel that Jesus miraculously fed a crowd from a few loaves and some fish, and that he instructed the ignorant and healed the sick. Jesus does not expect us to match his efforts for this would be impossible yet nonetheless, we are invited to follow in his ways.

At the core of discipleship is a moral commitment. The baptismal renewal at Easter challenges us: “Do you reject Satan and all his works?” To proclaim Jesus Christ requires a deliberate choice to live in opposition to evil and to pursue good. The word moral, rooted in the Latin morales and Greek ethos, signifies “the good life.”[2] Reflecting on Jesus’ ministry reveals that this good life is not abstract but relational. He ministered to the social, physical and emotional needs of those he encountered, showing kindness even when met with humiliation: “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” sneered the crowd, before driving him out of their presence. The good life therefore involves more than just offering a handout, it demands extending kindness to those relationships who directly oppose us.

The call to discipleship is a commitment to the path that Jesus has set before us. Through both his command to proclaim the Gospel and his personal invitation to “follow me,” Jesus draws us into a deeply personal and transformative relationship with him. To be a disciple is to be in union with God through Jesus, and from this union flows our vocation to love. Discipleship is not limited to avoiding sin, feeding the hungry nor repeating doctrinal truth sentences; it is ultimately about building a community of love. Created in the image and likeness of God, we are, as Aquinas teaches, not closed off nor self-sufficient individuals, but creatures designed to be receptive to God and open to the goodness that flows from him.[3] Since we are inherently relational, our relationship with God extends beyond this private affair – it calls us out into the broader community to instruct and serve because we find fulfilment not in isolation, but in communion. In doing so, we fulfil Jesus’ ultimate wish: “love one another as I have loved you.” This command extends to all people regardless of who they are and where they stand in society. This is the heart of discipleship – the moral life rooted in love, lived in relationship.

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[1] Lamoureux, Patrricia, and Paul J. Wadell, The Christian Moral Life: Faithful Discipleship for a Global Society (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2010), 3.

[2] Christian Morality : An Interdisciplinary Framework for Thinking about Contemporary Moral Issues, edited by Geoffrey W. Sutton, and Brandon Schmidly (Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2016), 16.

[3] Aquinas,Summa Theologiae, trans.Thomas Gilby (London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1964), Ia, q.9, art.2.

Thought Series | The Fuel to Christian Mission

Baptism initiates a person into the Christian life. From the moment of baptism, every Christian assumes the duty to preach the Good News – that is to say, to make God known to others. This mandate is instituted by Christ in scripture and affirmed by the teaching authority of the Church.[1] In its Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church, Vatican II employs the term “mission” specifically to denote the task of giving witness to the Good News through preaching theGospel and planting the Church among peoples or groups who do not yet believe.[2]

While Christians are called to preach and propagate the Gospel, our mission also includes standing for moral truths essential for individual and collective flourishment intended by God, even when these truths are rejected by the prevailing culture. In a society increasingly disengaged from liturgical worship and Christian doctrinal and moral truths – favouring instead a thirst for conspiracy and environmentalism with no real regard for true ecology – it seems that the true sense of mission is lost.

The Latin maxim Nemo dat quad non habet (“no one gives what he does not have”) captures a fundamental principle: you cannot offer to others that you yourself lack. A slightly different yet more quoted variant is “you cannot pour from an empty cup.”

Although a Christian receives the indelible character and gifts of the Holy Spirit at Baptism, the missionary activity of the Christian is largely ineffective if there is no love for God in his heart, for baptism is the beginning of faith and faith is deepened through love. What is absent in a heart without this “love which gives meaning to our lives” is not merely the accidents[3] or sentiments of love, but the possession of the very object of love who is God himself. Without this love, the Christian person cannot give what he lacks.

Love of God is found upon and built on prayer. As God is not found in external objects and is yearned for in the interior of one’s heart – sometimes misconstrued for in objects or idolatry practices – prayer is the only place in which God is revealed. Prayer allows God to begin an encounter with the person who seeks him, deepening that encounter with the one who persists and trusts in the presence of God in the power of prayer. We see this in Jesus' own person who saw the necessity of prayer to deepening a relationship with God. Nine times alone scripture references Jesus retreating to be alone with the Father.

It is because of prayer that Christians can speak to others about God because through prayer God makes himself present, teaching us how to be loved and to love him in return.[4] St Thomas Aquinas tells us that the purpose of prayer is to be disposed to be received from God the things he wills to give which includes Knowledge of himself. As knowledge of the uncreated one cannot be found through systematic experimentation, God knowledge is discovered only if God so wills to share with us what he knows of himself and since this is undiscovered through rational inquiry, prayer is the place to discover God.

God wants us to make him known to others, and this is primarily the task of mission. However, we cannot make God known to others if we do not know him. While prayer is the place to grow in love of God and propels us into the world to serve, it is also the place in which we encounter God and learn from him. It is precisely the reason why we pray, to gain knowledge of the one who loved us first so that we may love him in return. Actively participating in the missionary works of the Church is the outward sign of love of God. 

Missionary work is not limited to just propagating what the Church teaches. We must take action to support what we profess. The maxim "Put your money where your mouth is" precisely reflects this idea, challenging us to demonstrate what we believe through concrete action – or keep silent. At the heart of Jesus’ teaching ministry was mercy, and in every case, he embodied what he taught. "Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again" were his words to the woman caught in adultery - words that reflected his teachings on the Father's Mercy. So, while prayer teaches us to know God and build our relationship with him, it shapes our disposition and how we live in the world. It forms us into virtuous agents who not only proclaim the truth but live it, allowing us to testify to the reality of God in mission.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission for purchases made through these links, at no cost to you. 

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[1] Evangelii Gaudium, no. 8.

[2] Ad Gentes , no. 6.

[3] By accident I mean the property predicated of a thing.

[4] Crossing the Threshold of Hope, John Paul II.

Thought Series | Unchanged by Love

The notion that the God of the Old Testament is violent is not a new theological question. Scholars have extensively debated this topic since the 20^th century, either defending, attacking, or denying the violent attributes ascribed to God. Proponents of a vengeful and wrathful Old Testament God contrast the accounts of violence in the Old Testament with Jesus’s merciful and compassionate reactions to injustice. However, it is difficult to fully align with those who promote a violent image of God, as God is often depicted as being distant from the violent acts recounted in the Old Testament, despite conflicts between the Jews and Gentiles.

To better understand the wrathfulness attributed to God, it is essential first to define violence before making assumptions. Violence is characterised by the intent to cause harm to another person or property. However, God’s intent, as outlined in Scripture, is to redeem His people from persecution and hardship. With this definition in mind, it becomes evident that it is human beings who intend evil upon others, not God. Therefore, we can confidently assert that attributing violence to God is a misrepresentation of divine intent and an error in understanding of the sacred text.

St. Thomas Aquinas provides further insight into this discussion affirming that there can be no change in the essence of God. According to Aquinas, change implies the acquisition of something new. Yet, because God is the fullness of being and perfection itself, He lacks nothing and thus cannot acquire anything new. If God were capable of change, it would suggest that He either continues to learn or transition from making errors to acting without fault. However, as God is both perfect and all-knowing, He does not need to learn anything new, as He already possesses complete knowledge of all things.

Consequently, the idea that God is a stern and wrathful God is flawed. Transitioning from vengefulness to kindness would imply a change of heart and thinking, which is incompatible to the unchanging nature of God. If one argues that the God of the Old Testament were vengeful and the God of the New Testament beneficent, it suggests the existence of two separate gods with two distinct wills. This argument is countered by Christian understanding of the oneness of God the Father and the Son. They share the same divine essence, the doctrinal truth formally expressed by the Council of Nicaea through the term homoousia, meaning “of the same substance.” Each Sunday at Mass and holy days of obligation Chrisitan’s profess this belief in the Nicene Creed, reaffirming their belief in the one true God, revealed in Jesus Christ and spoken through the prophets.

While violence does still occur within the Chrisitan community – through power struggles among the laity and abuses of authority among the clergy – this does not validate the perception of a violent God. Instead, we as the Christian cooperation must guide communities in understanding the true, unchanging nature of God. God is not defined by wrath or violence, but by justice and mercy, united in love.

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